Tahoma

So, I realize that I have been procrastinating blogging because I desperately wanted to go in order, but all the sailing pictures are on the laptop at home and I have a much better chance of sneaking in a post at the office. So you'll just have to keep waiting for sailing and Kyle pictures, and instead see pictures of my recent trip to Washington. The three weekends previous to my trip I was watching my friend's quilt shop. And kayaking on the (huge) lake in front of their house. Smokey came with me on the last weekend and was gracious enough to provide some proof of my kayaking. Note, however, that it is so foggy I could be anywhere. Very fun paddling.

My good friend, KAES, was gracious enough to pick me up at the airport and drive me around town to pick up a few last minute (forgotten/forbidden on airplanes) items for my trip. Then she drove me to the trailhead where I met up with Skippy and Al, two librarians from Minnesota, who had organized the trip. They were having a very interesting discussion with the ranger when I arrived. It seems they didn't read the fine print on the permit paperwork and so hadn't actually activated the permit by picking it up before hitting the trail. She was very kind and came back in the morning to create a unique hand written permit for us and call in an activation. Little did we know this was the beginning of our notoriety with the rangers. I think we all had a slight panic and doubts about the trip when we woke up to ice on our pack covers and table.

We loaded up on water from the lake before hitting the trail. Probably I should have just let these two pump all the water for the trip. The pump only lasted one more day and failed while I was using it. But the first thing to fail was my camera, a victim of the cold, it stopped working less than an hour after we left Mowich Lake. We were lucky in the pump department and a nice pair of local folks loaned us theirs.....which died while I was using it eight days later. Luckily by then Skippy had called her husband for additional food and he had also sent along a ton of iodine tablets. Neither Skippy or I will ever hike without them again, especially with the anti-iodine taste tablets.

While we paused many times on the trail for the others to take pictures of the mountain I just stared at it. Until day five or six when I realized it had been blisteringly hot instead of cold and I got an inkling that my batteries may have recovered. I was lucky and they had, so I finally got to join in the mountain paparazzi.

Skippy hurt her foot along the best portion of the trail to do so and Al and I left her at Box Canyon after she had hitched a ride with a lovely elderly couple to Longmire. Despite our late start and slow mile to the road, Al and I were at our reserved campsite for the night by 2:30, where we ate lunch and decided to push on. As the sky became cloudy, we trudged up the worst (in my memory) few miles to Reflection Lakes. Thankfully we had both seen them before on previous trips to the park and were only a little dissapointed at the clouds preventing reflecting.

The next morning on our way to meet up with Skippy again (a day early), we observed some very impressive cairn building skills. In my opinion, this is one of the only cool things Skippy missed on that section of the trail. Mostly Al and I were trying to stay in touch with our inner mountain goats and walk light as butterflies so as to not slide off the side of the ridge. When we weren't being confused by where we were going to cross the road, that is.

Yes, this is the same mountain. Sometimes it was very hard to believe. Some sides had a really snowy face and others, like this one, were very rocky.

It's a miracle, really, that we finished the hike in only 12 days. Once Skippy and Al were pros at identifying berries they were as obsessive as me at snacking on the biggest juiciest ones. And there's always a huge juicy one waiting for you around the next bend.

Evidence of the mountain making it's own weather. While these clouds look scarey, they didn't prove troublesome to us at all.

Another frequent site for me, handy cams at work. I think they are taking a picture of a scene too beautiful to be real. It includes a quaint cabin and the mountain in the background.

The second suspension bridge. Turns out when you have your pack on and are crossing a suspension bridge it's a whole lot different than when you cross without your pack. I know this seems obvious, but it wasn't something I thought about until I got across this hummer. All I could think about was 'don't look down' and 'wow the other bridge was not this scary, what happened?'

Ah, Skippy. Taking in the sunshine after the rain. See how she generously leaves her pack cover on to keep the rain away? I kept my rain jacket close at hand for the same reason.

Andesite columns. Was looking forward to learning about these in Geomorphology, but will have to wait as my schedule was too full. And I'm a little too old to be as ridiculous about that as I used to be. This formation is called the 'Devil's Pipeorgan'.

Several times we found ourselves looking down onto the clouds. It was a little odd and made me feel like I might be flying.

Several miles of trail led through an old burn area from 1928. It was amazing to see how slowly things grow back at that elevation. And also how slowly things break down. In theory I understand this, but it is different to see it in person.

Very postcard view. We saw a black bear in this burn area. He was very small and unconcerned with us. Apparently the berries were far more interesting.

The legendary Golden Lakes. Our journey here was less epic than expected, made all the more sweet by the quaint ranger cabin, lack of bugs, and beautiful weather. Our guide reports that you can see some awesome sunsets from this camp. We didn't stay to check it out since it was lunch time when we arrived and we knew there were a million switchbacks between us and camp.

And along those switchbacks were seeps. Or what I assume would normally be seeps if it wasn't as dry as it was during our visit. It obviously isn't dry for too long or the green moss carpet would not stay so green.

I don't know how, but in all my time in the woods I have never seen this. This is a fir cone, plentiful along the trail. The seeds inside the cone have sprouted and are sticking out. Very cool. I think that makes me a wood nerd. Or maybe a tree nerd?

The last bridge, one of many similar ones crossed on the trail. Sometimes they were obviously installed this year. Sometimes former ones (or parts of former ones) were obviously strewn about. Made me glad to be hiking in the autumn instead of the spring.

Al's pack exploded after we got down the hill to their pick up point in town. Mine and Skippy's looked very similar. In fact, mine is still exploded on the stairwell at the house. Just one of the many benefits of living in a house instead of an apartment. I'm already plotting for the next trip. In-between studying, that is. And Smokey is home from his trip too. All safe and mostly sound.

Office Coffee Rant

Not to sound ungrateful, because I'm not, but there's just something odd about the coffee situation at my office. First, this is my favorite office cup, based on the shape and such. It has a Krispy Kreme logo on it. We are a very long way from the nearest outlet. This doesn't stop people from having them fed exed up here and selling them by the box as fundraisers. But I suspect that may be another post all together. Suffice it to say that it makes me want donuts.

Second, I sometimes like a milky cup of coffee. Stop shuddering, Mom, it's a nice change. Here's the really weird part. Milk substance choices: not powdered creamer (thank you!), fat free half and half, long life (no refrigeration needed) half and half, non fat milk. I like my fat. Especially the tiny amount I drink in the odd cup of coffee I consume. If a person was so worried about fat, wouldn't they take other larger steps, like increase their exercise or not have cookies and ice cream every day? I don't get it.

Workday Paws

This has been such an amazing day and I was afraid to wait until tomorrow to blog about it in case a giant sinkhole opened up on my way home and Tucum, Tatonka and I fell into it, never to be seen again.

After another lovely weekend in Cooper Landing, complete with kayaking on the lake and basking in the sun with the dogs, I arrived home before Smokey and was even able to fully clean out his truck of my crap and vaccuum up the dog hair. Then I stayed up too late watching tv shows I borrowed from my friend.

So I started out today tired. Then I decided to call my boss and beg a late entrance so I could take Tatonka in to the vet since the full bottle of benedryl he drank this weekend did nothing to reduce the bug bite swelling on his nose. I even got an appointment at the vet, so didn't have to got to the emergency clinic or get squeezed in. On the drive down the hill I came to the realization that my truck plates expire today. And I need to get an emission test. But before that I have to get a new muffler since I discovered on Friday that mine is no longer connected to the tailpipe. One thing at a time, I decided. So, the bumps on Tatonka's nose that are now open wounds ooozing puss were so exciting to the vet that she showed all the other vets at the clinic. They all proclaimed how they had never seen this before, and while they knew it was theoretically possible in dogs it's usually a cat issue. This after she tells me it could be a bite from a pregnant vole, which apparently secrets some some of toxin. Or the first signs of some horrible diseases. Turns out he is having an allergic reaction to something (don't know what) and it is infected. So, now I need a pet sitter while I'm gone who is willing to shove pills down my big dog's throat several times a day and smear an ointment on his oozing snout. Hmmmmm....not sure I have any friends anywhere who would sign up for that. And then I go to pay my bill, $150, not bad all things considered, but my debit card is declined. I got paid on Friday. There is no way I spent that much money. Perplexed, I pull out a credit card and go on my way to pick up my OTC allergy meds and then go on to work.

Where all hell has broken loose on all my projects. But no one could tell me this since my cell phone died. In between the storms I managed to check my bank account, only to discover it is several hundred dollars overdrawn.....and there is no record of a paycheck being deposited on Friday. I find the paystub advice envelope we are all given on payday and open it to find.....a paper paycheck. Turns out when I was promoted and given a raise and changed from one subsidiary to another my electronic payment set up did not follow me.

I think maybe I'm done with this day now. Time to retreat to Heaven and reimerse myself in the tv shows and petting my cat. Also, last night discovered Frog has matted fur on his back which I spent over an hour brushing. Didn't think that was possible on a short haired cat. And a plant Smokey brought inside has aphids....into the jungle of plants.....yeah, can't wait to see what happens with that one, but I spent a good deal of time hunting and killing them this morning. The aphids, not the plants. And I'm leaving in a week to go hike the Wonderland Trail. YIPPEEE!!!

A Whale of a Good Weekend

Last weekend I drove down to Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula on Saturday morning. It's the time of year when salmon are heading upstream and smart whales are following them. A whole line of cars were pulled over to watch this pod of belugas swimming along the edge of Turnagain Arm. It was a very cool way to start the trip and well worth the ten minutes late I was getting to the shop.

The shop…..it was rainy on Sunday, so I didn't hang up any of the quilts outside. It's cute and has an amazing inventory. And it's slow enough to allow cutting of kits for inventory and projects for sewing up in the evening at the house….on the lake….where I keep my kayak….and can let the dogs run around. I'll be there again this weekend and the following weekend. It's state fair time and my friend has a booth at the fair. Nope, it's not a booth having anything at all to do with fabric. They deep fry corn fritters, ice cream, and cheesecake. I know, my arteries clogged up a little just from typing that.

Smokey left on a weekend deer hunting trip this morning. His friend's idea of an early start was 10am. I curse him. Only because Smokey's idea of an early start is 5am. I love how men communicate. The puppies and I will be heading south as soon as I can convince my boss that really, 42 hours is enough this week. We're going to stop and hike on one of the many trails along the way in an attempt to continue to get ready for my pending hike around Mount Rainier on the Wonderland Trail. Yes, life is good. Now, about that early start on the weekend……did I mention I want to put new shocks on my truck before I go? The road is pretty bumpy and the puppies and I are getting tired of bouncing around so much. So is Tucum.

Office Visitor

This week my nephew is visiting from Washington. He has been enjoying such activities as fetching contraband color documents from the office printer for myself and my officemate, getting us coffee, and drinking Pepsi. Smokey and I also took him hiking, berry picking, and fishing on the Kenai last weekend. And I played mini-golf and pool with him last night and tonight we are going to the zoo. Yes, the zoo. Also, he gets to stay up late and sleep in and draw and listen to music. Oh to be twelve again and on summer vacation!

Heaven

We're all moved in. Or at least there's nothing left at the old place. That's not to say that the vehicles aren't both still littered with miscellaneous stuff (like a chest freezer in Tucumcari) or that all the stuff is technically 'inside' the new place. But we're saying the moving is complete. And it was sunny all weekend. I had to do some fast talking to convince myself that after a week of rain this was a good thing and I shouldn't feel cheated out of two days of beautiful weather because it wasn't like I was hoping to move in the rain, right?

And then Smokey proposed a nickname for the new place: Heaven. Not just because it's perfectly peaceful, everything I've ever wanted for myself and my dogs in a house, or the simple fact that it's a house and it's free. He chose the name because it's up the hill, so after work we go up to Heaven. As soon as I find the camera (and my phone) I'll get you all set up with some pictures, so you know what heaven looks like.

Countdown to Move

Smokey and I are preparing to occupy our friend's house while they are off galavanting around the planet. You wouldn't necessarily know this based on the current state of our apartment. Mostly this is because we have both been clocking way too many hours at work. Fair enough on his part, trying to launch a business and all, but I don't have that kind of excuse. I can't say it's so much that I love my office space or the act of pushing around (electronic) paper so much. Maybe it's just the fun of sometimes opening an email from a field superintendent and finding pictures like this from a project I have been spending stupid amounts of time working on. Yes, that is a toilet. With a view. This is my selling ice to Eskimos project.

And you thought living near a fault line was crazy? I wonder if FEMA knows about this? Or the local insurance company?

Ever worried your view of the world was a little twisted? How about that of your local church? If your church looks like this I think it has a justifiable reason.

And this view never changes. No buildings to block your view. No jet planes ruining your peaceful contemplation of the universe. No jet boat races. No freeway noise. Also no running water.